The effect of education in our socicety Essay Example for Free

The effect of education in our socicety Essay Education is the most important achievement of a persons lifetime. The possibilities and accomplishments become virtually endless once you have achieved a college education. One can tailor their education toward specific areas of learning to become anything they want in American society. Having an education not only gives you the promise of a decent life, but produces self confidence and self esteem. Knowledge is the most important tool that America bestows upon her citizens. Anyone who lives here, without prejudice, has the right to pursue an education in any field and to any level they wish. A solid, basic education, followed by a specific, career orientated, college education, is the cornerstone of the American way of life; the first major step toward achieving the American dream. An example of this is the way technology is advancing in our everyday life. Computers have become as common in every household as a television. This was not the case as little as ten years ago when the Internet, having been in existence since the late sixtys, was barely giving birth to what we now know as Web (World Wide Web). Education, along with creativity, is the driving force that brought the information super-highway to life. Today, the rate of advancement in new technologies is approximately three months. These advancements are due to the men and women who have spent years of training acquiring the education needed in our technology based society. This training has given them the knowledge to expand upon, or even discover new applications in science, business, technology, agriculture, art, or any other educational path one might wish to pursue. These advancements are improving the quality of nearly every aspect of our lives. All of us, without exception, benefit on a daily bas is, from the bounties reaped by normal, everyday people, in the physical application of there education. A further example of the benefits of education in our society is employment. There are more self employed people and private or family owned businesss in America then ever before. People have always had good ideas to make money. Now, thanks to the communicability of the internet and the accessibility of the Web, coupled with an education, these relatively new technologies allow people to apply their ideas in ways never before possible. This is because they now have access to virtually everyone, and,  virtually everyone has access to them. All of these web based businesses require an education in computers as well as business management. These new virtual stores have no shelves to stock and no cashier up front, everything is done electronically. General labor used to be the predominant way to earn money in America, this however, is rapidly changing. As the level of our technology grows, the need for a highly educated workforce grows with it. With a proper education, ones choices and opportunities are increased dramatically, as does the earned wage. A third example of the benefit of an education is personal accomplishment. One has the tools to set higher personal standards and achieve higher goals. Everyone feels good about a job well done. Doing exceptionally well at a given task builds self confidence that carries over to all other aspects of life, building character and self esteem. An education brings out the creativity in a person. The ability to come up with an original idea, based on known ideas, is how all invention comes about. An education is the basis through which all known ideas were conceived. I believe that education is the foundation for the future, the building block through which we will create a totally new world. Obtaining an education is not a simple matter; it takes commitment, dedication, and a lot of effort. The rewards of having and using an education far outweigh any hardships dealt with in acquiring it. Not only are there personal benefits, there are benefits to society in helping to shape a new tomorrow. I believe that the American dream is to use acquired knowledge to make money doing something you enjoy, to get paid for doing something you would do for free. Education is the way to that dream.

Twentieth Century Feminism And Womens Rights

Twentieth Century Feminism And Womens Rights Feminism is defined as the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes. Although there were many protests, discussions, writings, and advancements of womens rights dating back to the third century B.C., what is known as the womens movement or feminist movement did not become an organized movement until the mid to late 1800s (11). Three Waves of Feminism A wave metaphor is commonly used to differentiate the three main eras in feminism history. However, the metaphor did not come about until the beginning of the second era. The term Second Wave Feminism was first contrived by Marsha Lear (11) in the late 1960s when women of the Womens Liberation Movement were looking to separate their cause from the movements associated with the first era (1), so the terms first-wave and second-wave were created at the same time. The use of this new terminology also seemed to revive the movement in the public eye after lying dormant for some time. Reference to the third wave began to appear in the mid-1980s as discussions and writings on the relationship of racism to feminism began to appear (11). First Wave Feminism, Mid-1800s to 1920 The First Wave of feminism was the era spanning from the mid-1800s to 1920, mostly in the United States and the United Kingdom. Focus was mainly on legal rights for women, primarily the right to vote. Legalities in the United States and United Kingdom In the United States, the federal constitution originally had no provision for voting rights, so the decision was left to the individual states. (3) Initially, suffrage was granted in some states to tax payers or property owners only. Women did become property owners in some states as early as 1939 (3). However, in the mid-nineteenth century, provisions were also being put in place in most states which expanded enfranchisement to all free adult males only. This left American women with two options to appeal for their rights. They could either appeal to the individual voters in each state to approve legislation, or they could appeal for an amendment to the federal constitution. In Great Britain, women saw three Reform Acts between 1832 and 1884 pass through parliament which all granted suffrage only to men or mens households. (3). The Reform Act of 1832 provided the right to vote to property holding middle class men where it had previously been reserved for aristocracy. The Reform Acts of 1867 and 1884 expanded these rights to the male voter within urban and rural households (2) and (5). With these reforms, the British parliament was satisfied that the majority of citizens was represented. British women were now faced with a complex parliamentary process which required that all legislation pass through Parliament three times before it would be considered. Given the contentment of Parliament that the majority was now represented, this would not be an easy task. Industrial Revolution Brings Change Up to the early nineteenth century, women were in the workplace but primarily as teachers and other such roles that were considered appropriate for women. The onset of the Industrial Revolution gave rise to jobs in factories, mines, and shops from which work related issues also sprang. In the US, various independent issues of womens rights had arisen around the nation but not enough to give a voice to all women. It wasnt until the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848 that women would have that voice. Seneca Falls Convention 1848 The five women who called for a meeting on July 19th and 20th, 1848 in the small town of Seneca Falls, NY did so out of the frustration of their own experiences. Much to their surprise, they would find the support of 300 people, including at least 40 men, who had come from a 50 mile radius to hear what they had to say. On that first day of the convention, Elizabeth Cady Stanton began to read the Declaration of Independence aloud to the audience from which the Declaration of Principles was born. (6) The Declaration of Sentiments or Declaration of Principles would become the foundation of the Womens Movement for decades to come, and from this moment in history, the Womens Movement began to grow. Organizations Born Out of Division The end of the U.S. Civil War brought division among suffrage supporters. In 1869, the American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA) was formed by those who supported enfranchising black males (15th Amendment) and worked at the state level to gain the right to vote. In the same year, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony formed the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA) and stood on the platform that all women should be allowed to vote along with black men. This group focused on federal constitutional changes, the message of equality in general, and primarily a feminist agenda. In 1890, these two groups were combined to form the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA) with Stanton as its leader. (3) The British movement started around the time of the Second Reform Act. Parliament Member John Stuart Mill made two attempts to ratify the voting rights. In the first attempt, he brought a petition signed by 1500 women to the House of Commons. In the second attempt, he proposed that the wording of the Reform Bill of 1867 be changed to include people instead of men. Although both attempts failed, these acts became the catalyst for the creation of several womens committees. As was the case in America, British women were divided on how best to approach the issue of enfranchisement. Northern suffragists were more interested in getting back to basics and campaigning for the cause where London-based suffragists were more interested in strategies of parliament. Some believed in a more gradual approach by suggesting, for example, to start by allowing only unmarried women to vote. While others believed that this type of approach only served to punish those women who were not included. By the e nd of the century, most of these organizations became part of the umbrella group known as the National Union of Womens Suffrage Societies (NUWSS) centralized under the leadership of Millicent Garrett Fawcett who was also one of the originators of the first womens organization in Manchester.(3) End of a Century to the Start of WWI The period between the end of the nineteenth century and the start of World War I saw limited movement in womens rights. This gave women on both sides of the ocean the opportunity to form a kinship in their cause through visiting and writing one another about their disappointments and setbacks. The frustration that ensued from the continued delays also gave rise to a more extreme group that would later be known as the Suffragettes. Extremist Movements The term Suffragette was first used as a derogatory term to describe a radical splinter group within the British womens suffrage movement, lead by Emmeline Pankhurst, called the Womens Social and Political Union (WSPU) (7). Theirs was a group which had resorted to breaking windows and harassment to gain attention for the cause. They would later resort to more militant style acts such as bombings and arson. As these women were imprisoned for their law breaking tactics, many of the suffragettes would participate in self-imposed hunger strikes. Initially, the government chose to force-feed the women, but this only served to gain public support for the WSPU. In 1913, Parliament implemented the Cat and Mouse Act which allowed for temporary release of the hunger strikers who would then be jailed again upon their recovery. (7) However, reincarcerating these women proved to be difficult and again raised further public support for the cause. One of the most famous acts by a Suffragette occurr ed at the Epsom Derby in 1913. Emily Davison stepped in front of King George Vs horse and was trampeled in the middle of the race. She would die from her injuries four days later. (7) American supporters of the womens suffrage movement chose not to use the term Suffragette primarily because of the negative connotation that came with the term. Alternatively, they chose to use the term suffragists which was more generic and also could be used by male and female supporters of the womens suffrage movement. After World War I The onset of World War I delayed the womens suffrage movement in both nations as supporters turned their attention to the war efforts. However, this short term concession would lead to long term rewards. In 1917, six states in the U.S. granted women the right to vote in primaries and in municipal and presidential elections. (8) The momentum was building. In 1920, Tennessee would be the 36th state to ratify the 19th Amendment that gives American women the voting rights that we invoke today. Second Wave Feminism, 1960s through late 1970s In the United States, women began to become concern about the issue of womens liberation which occurred in the late 1960s. They were disappointed with the secondary status given to womens issues on the left and emboldened by the black power rhetoric that had emerged from the civil rights movement; these women decided that its the time for them to take care of their own issues and goals to be heard and show their political concerns. For many of women involved in this movement, the idea those women could work together in the name of women seemed new, exciting, and without much historical precedent. From their perspective, the earlier womens movement of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries seemed removed and without much relevance to the lives and politics of the new breed of feminists. While many women were certainly aware that a womens movement had existed in the previous century, they looked instead towards the New Left and civil rights movements of the 1960s as the forerunne rs to their feminism (m). Second Wave Feminism began in 1960s through 1990s which actually started with the protest against the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City in 1968 and 1969. Compared with the First Wave, the Second Wave was more focused in the anti-war and civil rights movements and the growing self-consciousness of a variety of minority groups around the world. The New Left was on the rise, and the voice of the second wave was increasingly radical. During this period, sexuality and reproductive rights were dominant issues, and much of the movements energy was focused on passing the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution and guaranteeing social equality regardless of sex (a). Second Wave Movement in the USA emphasized on three different movements: Womens movement, Feminist movement, Womens Liberation Movement. Feminists viewed the second wave era as ending with the intra-feminism dispute Feminist Sex War over issues such as sexuality and pornography. The Second-Wave Feminism title was coined by Marsha Lear when women of the 1960s sought to connect their ideas to those as reasonable, and by then noncontroversial, as the right to vote; second wave implied that the first wave of feminism ended in the 1920s. The labels first wave and second wave, then, were created at the same time as a way of negotiating feminist space. These terms gave activist women of the late 60s the double-rhetorical advantage of cultivating new ideas while simultaneously rooting them in older, more established ground. Identifying itself as the second wave revived the movement for the public after seeming to lie dormant for some time. Second wavers are often applauded for paying homage to and drawing from the work of first-wave women, as well they should be. But they did so for reasons far beyond a sense of patriotic duty to honor their fore sisters. The second-wave attention to womens rights, and more importantly, to womens liberation, emerged seemingly out of nowhere and needed to reestablish itself as neither particularly new nor fleeting. The labeling that linked the two periods of feminist movement was a rhetorical strategy that helped give clout to 60s womens activism and positioned it as a further evolution of earlier and larger movement. In 1963, Betty Friedans The Feminine Mystique spoke volumes about the lives that middle-and upper middle-class women were leading. Her arguments affirmed their malaise and motivated them to cure it by moving out of private and into public space, where no such malaise plagued men (n). Womens Liberation Movement Also known as Second-Wave Feminism, the Womens Liberation Movement (WLM) was a grassroots movement that lasted from approximately 1960 through the early 1980s, seeking for economic, political, and social equality for women in the Americas and Britain. The WLM in Britain is generally considered to have begun in 1969, when a confederation of local groups formed the Womens Liberation Workshop, followed in 1970 by the establishment of the National Womens Coordinating Committee. Feminists articulated four main areas of concerns: equal pay, access to birth controls and abortion, expanding educational opportunity, childcare. The United Nations declared 1975 as the International Year of the Woman and the beginning of a decade for Women (3). Gender Inequality in Laws, Culture, and Politics Industrial feminism doesnt fit into the established categories of American feminist history. There was a popular misconception that feminism was reserved for the middle and upper classes. The four working class women activists, Shavelson, Cohn, Newman and Schneiderman pursued the dream through four strategies that became the blue print for working-class womens activism in 20th century USA (b). By 1960, the size of the female labor force had nearly doubled, now enrolling almost one in three women. The majority of women workers, fully 60 percent, were married, over 40 percent of them were mothers of school-age children, and they most often had secured white-collar rather than industrial jobs. (f). In 1979, a group of smart, strong-willed women, fiercely independent, but recognizing the need for collective action, forged a new organization in New York City, United Tradeswomen (UT). White and black, Hispanic and Asian, UT was also occupationally diverse: Entenmann bakery truck drivers, bridge painters, utility workers, firefighters, and hundreds of skilled trades apprentices. From its inception, UT succeeded in providing a space for women to meet and to talk. The majority of women participating in the organization were experiencing significant hardships at work and meeting up with the resistance within their unions. UT fell apart in 1985 as internal divisions grew and the commitment of the original organizers waned (g). Womens Rights In the US, women have adorned American money since the founding of a new nation. Until 1979, though all women depicted were allegorical representations of republican ideals, such as liberty. The US government created the coin to honor Susan B. Anthony and her efforts to guarantee that American women had the right to vote. The US Mint first released the Anthony dollar on July 2, 1979 in the city in which Anthony resided during her politically active years: Rochester, New York (j). Gender Role and Feminism Historically, gender relations have rarely been linked to war and peace, and sexuality has seldom been a component of national security. But in the global War of Ideas, womens oppression and ideological marginalization are ingredients not to be ignored. Womens particular position with children and overseeing the very first steps of education gives them an incredible potential power to initiate and impact massive intellectual change. Taboos about sexual relations are crumbling worldwide, the vivid contrast between mindsets in free societies and the Taliban-like attitude toward sexual freedom on part of jihadists is playing a part in the psychological conditioning of jihadi violence (h). Reproductive and Abortion Rights (Roe v. Wade) Reproductive rights became one of the biggest concerns besides the unofficial inequalities, official legal inequalities, sexuality, family and the work place. Abortion rights were legalized by the US Supreme Court in 1973 following the case of Planned Parenthood v. Casey where the Court affirmed the abortion right granted in Roe v. Wade while permitting further restrictions (d). The practice of abortion is legal in the United States. This seems simple enough, but just like everything about the abortion conflict, there is no easy way to describe abortion law. The law has many sources constitutions, legislative statutes, administrative regulations, courts decisions and to become an expert on abortion law one would have to become familiar with all of them. The foundation of abortion law is the US Constitution as interpreted by The Supreme Court. Constitutional law does not directly regulate abortion. Rather, it sets limits on the powers of the states and the federal government to regulate abortion. The Court has established this constitutional law of abortion through a series of decisions, called case law, especially Roe v. Wade, Doe v. Bol ton, and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. Roe v. Wade was a challenge to the constitutionality of the criminal law that Texas enacted in the 1850s. The law prohibited anyone to procure or attempt an abortion except, based on medical advice, for the purpose of saving the life of the mother. Doe v. Bolton was a challenge to Georgias 1968 reform that criminalized abortion except when the pregnancy endangered the life of the mother, there was a rave fetal deformity, or the pregnancy was the result of rape. The Georgia reform was very restrictive. In this case the Georgia legislature had added stringent and cumbersome rules including a requirement that the abortion decision must be approved by a committee and the medical judgment must be confirmed by two doctors in addition to the womans own physician. The justices treated the two cases as a single decision, but it is Roe v. Wade that has become the most famous, the symbol for what is right and wrong (depending on your point of view) with abortion law in the United States (o). Discrimination Against Women From international perspective, in the context of a highly authoritarian and theocratic state in Iran, womens rights have been framed within an Islamist normative discourse, not only by religious and state authorities, but also by some advocates of womens rights. Such strategies have attracted considerable controversy, almost since the immediate aftermath of the Iranian revolution in 1979 (i). In honoring the womens right throughout the world, The United Nation has formed a commission to watch the inequality treatments against women. International Womens Day has become an official day on March 8, 2010 (e). Third Wave Feminism, 1990 to Present Third Wave Feminism began around 1990 and continues into today. It arose primarily out of the experiences of Americans born after 1960 who grew up enjoying many of the advantages second wave feminists had to fight to achieve.(9) It is believed that the third wave picks up where the second wave left off and addresses issues such as racism, oppression, body image, gender categories, and sexuality. In 2004, Unilever PLC with its Dove brand soap launched the Campaign for Real Beauty aimed at beauty stereotypes and self-esteem (10). Emphasis on racism during the third-wave can be seen in the Thomas-Hill hearings in 1991 where a white male running for Supreme Court Justice is accused of sexual harassment by a young black woman. The hearings are credited with bringing public awareness to gender discrimination, and Anita Hill is often refered to as the mother of a new wave of gender discrimination awareness by several feminist groups (12). Issues of the third-wave era can have different meaning for different people around the world. Oppression for a business woman in the United States might mean hitting the glass ceiling for that long awaited promotion. In Afghanistan, it would mean gender apartheid; being stripped of basic human rights and even killed simply because they are women. There are many organization available to address feminist issues on local and global levels. http://feministmajority.org/about/index.asp http://www.feministing.com/about.html#aboutFem http://www.now.org/

Comparing On the Road and Easy Rider :: Comparison Compare Contrast Essays

Parallels in On the Road  and Easy Rider  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   Released more than a decade apart, Kerouac's On the Road and Dennis Hopper's Easy Rider are replete with parallels. Both depict characters whose beliefs are not quite uniform with those of society; in both cases these characters set out in search of "kicks" but become part of something larger along the way. More importantly, these two texts each comment insightfully on the culture of their respective times. But all these similarities become superficial in the face of the inherent differences between the two. In pre-Beat Generation America, anyone who looked could find a whole society of people who, for the most part, were afraid to do the things they dreamed, unable to break from conformity. Kerouac saw this all around him, and with On the Road, he responds. He presents a tale of those who flee conformity successfully and without any significant negative consequences. Clearly, his audience consists of members of society who remain content with conventional societal norms, who are too squeamish to do what they want. To them he argues that they ought to assert their personal identity rather than be bound by an imposed social one, that they ought to follow their own desires rather than succumb to society's. This argument comes in multiple forms; criticisms by Dean are such a form. At one point he cries: "the moment it comes time to act, this paralysis, scared, hysterical, nothing frightens em more than what they want" (Kerouac 215). He also complains: "offer them what they secretly want and they of course immediately become panic- stricken" (Kerouac 209). These statements are part of Kerouac's argument in their critique of society's fearful attitude toward achieving desires. Sal reiterates the argument to disregard social identity when he accuses a girl he meets of an "emptiness. . .that reached back generations and generations in her blood from not having done what was crying to be done. . .'What do you want out of life?' I wanted to take her and wring it out of her" (Kerouac 243). But Kerouac's strongest argument of all for individual freedom seems to come from example. In On the Road, Sal and Dean live an amazing adventure together. Sure, they get pulled over a few times, but no real harm comes to them from any of their wild escapades. Apparently they are untouchable.

The Sheltering Sky :: essays research papers

The Sheltering Sky Part One: My Vision   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After reading the novel, The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles, it was difficult to imagine how one could transform the novel into a satisfying film. How could one imitate such descriptive settings and emotions without the advantage of Paul Bowles' wording? Also the novel does not have the plot of a typical movie, even an action or love story, and the ending is not conclusive. Could actors today play the deep and complex characters as they are portrayed in the book? These were some of the complications I considered when deciding how I would produce the movie.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To start to picture the film, I began to think of the actors I would choose to portray the main characters of the movie. I pictured Kit as a rather frail, pretty, blonde character perhaps played by Gwyneth Paltrow. Port should be played by an actor who can generate a sense of strength and independence as shown by the character in the book. He should be a masculine individual, but definitely have a quiet, introspective side. I would like to see Harrison Ford or a similar actor play this part. Tunner should be portrayed with the right mix of good looks and charm combined with a devious underlying air which causes one to question his motives. Perhaps an actor such as Hank Azaria would be a good Tunner.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I would try to shoot as many scenes as possible on location in the Sahara. By doing this, the viewer can gain a sense of the openness and vastness of the desert without the help of Bowles' descriptive wording. I would try hard to show the harshness of the heat and the burden of the dust which might cause one to react differently than in normal circumstances. I would enhance these sensations by using soft African music with flutes and horns.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I think central to the plot should be the change that occurred in Port and Kit's relationship after the bike ride to the top of the dune. Before this, their relationship was shaky and they were not as dependent on each other. Afterward, though, their relationship deepened and this sets the stage for Port's traumatic death. Port's death would definitely be a turning point in my film and a very emotional moment. I would try to display the raw pain and emotion of death as Bowles' does so eloquently in the book.

History Of Communication Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Since the beginning of time, people have had the need to communicate with one and other. The most common type of communication is speech, but you could not talk to someone who lived 20 miles away. Then written language was developed, people marked symbols on paper, stone, or whatever was available. Then hundreds of years passed, and people who wanted to share their ideas with people had to do allot of writing, until someone thought to make a writing machine. This machine is called the printing press.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gutenberg's invention of the printing press is widely thought of as the origin of mass communication-- it marked Western culture's first viable method of disseminating ideas and infomation from a single source to a large and far-ranging audience. The story of print is a long and complax one. It may be too much to claim that print was the single cause of the massive social, political and psychological changes it is associated with. However, print did wield enormous influence on every aspect of European culture. Some historians suggest that print was instrumental in bringing about all the major shifts in science, religion, politics and the modes of thought that are commonly associated with modern Western culture.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Gutenberg foresaw enormous profit-making potential for a printing press that used movable metal type. Despite their rapid growth in numbers, secular scribes simply could not keep up with the commercial demand for books. Gutenberg also saw strong maket potential in selling indulgences, the slips of paper offering written dispensation from sin that the Church sold to fund crusades, new buildings and other projects devoted to expanding its dominance. In fact, press runs of 200,000 indulgences at a time were common soon after the handwritten versions became obsolete.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There were many different innovations since the first hand operated printing press. The Stanhope press, which was widely used for many years, still used a hand-operated screw to press print and paper, but it could print up to 250 sheets an hour. A considerable improvement was the Colombian press. In this press, the typical screw method was eliminated, and replaced with powerful hand levers.   Ã‚  &nbs... ...the negative side, wars are waged more easily, the scope of human conflict has been extended along telephone lines, the multi-generational household has been broken-up as living alone is no longer an experiment in isolation, and the time-space continuum seems to be compressed faster than previously thought possible (Brooks, 1976). On the other hand, the invention of the telephone has resulted in the rapid and diffuse dissemination of technical and scientific information, saved lives through links to emergency services, made possible the modern city through telephonic connections, increased the speed and ease with which information changes place, and accelerated the rate of scientific and technological change and growth in industry (Brooks, 1976).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Since the invention of the printing press, communication over distances has become much more feasable. The invention of the the telephone, computer, and the internet has made such an impact on our society. Now we are able to view tremendous multitudes of information from our own living room. The history of modern communication is still ongoing, and will continue to progress far into the future.

Research the German Car Industry †BMW Essay

Within this dossier I am going to research the German Car Industry, firstly I am going to give a little background history to Germany, then Berlin where the person will be based to work for BMW. Then finally I will tell the person about BMW, their history and his/hers role within the company. I have decided to use a 50/50 approach to this dossier by this I mean 50% will be on the country i.e. Germany and Berlin and 50% will be on the company. I have chosen this because I feel, and will explain throughout this piece of work that it is very important to know the ways and the customs of a country as well as the industry in which you are going to work. I will try through this piece of work to help the person ‘settle’ in quicker and be comfortable of his/her surroundings. If someone feels happy in his/her surroundings then this should spread into his/hers work life and by focusing more on the country I feel this could happen quicker than usual. About Germany Population: 82,057,000 Size: 357,021 kmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Adjacent countries: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland Highest point: Zugspitze (2,962 m) – 31% of the country is covered with forests Coastal line: 2,389 km Life expectancy: 77 years (Men – 73 years; Women – 80 years) System of government: The Federal Republic of Germany is a democracy with a liberal free-market economy, freedom of religion and freedom of the press. Germany is a member of the European Union (EU). Capital: Berlin (3.47 million inhabitants) 16 States in the Federal Republic: Baden-Wà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½rttemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, Schleswig-Holstein, Thuringia Railway system: 43,966 km Freeways and roads: 633,000 km Bicycle tracks: 40,000 km Federal and national waterways: 10,000 km Sea water routes: 23,000 kmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ Time zone: In Germany, clocks are set to Central European time. From the end of March to the end of October (summertime) they are put forward one hour. (Source: German tourist office) Economy Overview: After the fall of the Berlin Wall, progress towards economic integration between eastern and western Germany is clearly visible, yet the eastern region almost certainly will remain dependent on subsidies funded by western Germany until many years to come. The staggering $390 billion in western German assistance that the eastern states have received since 1990 – 40 times the amount in real terms of US Marshall Fund aid sent to West Germany after World War II – is just beginning to have an impact on the eastern German standard of living, which plummeted after unification. Assistance to the east continues to run at roughly $100 billion annually. Although the growth rate in the east was much greater than in the west, it will take 10-15 years for the eastern states to match western Germany’s living standards. The economic recovery in the east is led by the construction industries which account for one-third of industrial output, with growth increasingly supported by the service sectors and light manufacturing industries. Eastern Germany’s economy is changing from one anchored on manufacturing to a more service-oriented economy. Western Germany, with three times the per capita output of the eastern states, has an advanced market economy and is a world leader in exports. The strong recovery in 1994 from recession began in the export sector and spread to the investment and consumption sectors in response to falling interest rates. Western Germany has a highly urbanized and skilled population that enjoys excellent living standards, abundant leisure time, and comprehensive social welfare benefits. It is relatively poor in natural resources, coal being the most important mineral. Western Germany’s world-class companies manufacture technologically advanced goods. The region’s economy is mature: services and manufacturing account for the dominant share of economic activities, and raw materials and semi manufactured goods constitute a large portion of imports. Read more: Swot Analysis of BMW Current Issues in Germany Currently, Germany is facing post reunification economic problems caused by a number of factors including the flow of refugees into Germany, the flow of East Germans leaving to West Germany, and the poor economic conditions left in East Germany by the Communists. In the East, the unemployment rate remains at about 18%, despite efforts to lower it. Within the political arena Germany remain to be one of the fieriest opponents to the war on Iraq and diplomatic relations between themselves and the USA and Britain and have hit a low point, but given time and talking these issues will be resolved. Germany has changed a lot since the end of the Second World War. This is a country that lay in ruins, the majority of its infrastructure was destroyed, millions of its citizens were killed and its economy was in tatters. However nowadays nearly 60 years after the war Germany brought itself back into world economics. Germany remains to be one of the main players in global economics, its many industries i.e. the car industry have lifted it from the depths of recession to become a strong economy. About Berlin Located in the north-east of Germany and with a population of 3.5million, one third is covered by woodland, parks and waterways. Despite efforts to become a city of the future, Berlin has also made every effort to preserve its history. Berlin is home to the largest construction project Europe has seen since World War II, the city is redefining itself. The construction of the Berlin Wall on Aug 13, 1961 set the seal on the city’s division and separated its people. The city celebrated on Nov 9, 1989 when the Berlin Wall was torn down. After the reunification in 1990 Berlin became residence of the Federal Government, which held its first plenary session in the redesigned Reichstag on Apr 19, 1999. The Reichstag with its new glass dome became an attraction for both Berliners and tourists from all over the world. The new millennium was celebrated with a magnificent party at the Brandenburg Tor. A lot has changed in Berlin since then. And Berlin will keep changing. Museums Berlin’s museums present art works of international appreciation. More than 170 museums invite to see collections of the world culture such as the Pergamonaltar or the bust of Nofretete, painting works from Giotto and Breughel over Caspar David Friedrich and Picasso to contemporary artists. Spectacular new buildings like the Filmmuseum or the Jewish Museum and the reopening of great museums like the Old National Gallery enhance the fascinating range of Berlin’s museums. Nightlife Night owls with stamina can also give their undivided attention to the interesting range of pubs around Savignyplatz in Charlottenburg. The area consists of a great number of restaurants and bars where everyone can meet the stars of television or Berlin’s culture and political scene. Here is the melting pot that combines symbolically the former west and the new centre to a harmonic construction. Especially the younger crowd is attracted to the Pariser Straà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½e. At this location you will find taverns, bars, American diners, Mexican restaurants and very modern and stylish discos. During the summer life concentrates on the street in form of many chairs and tables that invite us to rest. In the middle of this street the well-maintained Ludwigkirchplatz with its rich areas of green providing a relaxing shadow is located. For someone who is going to live in a strange country it is important if they make themselves aware of certain customs within that country or a certain part of the country i.e. Tipping in a restaurant the bill you receive at a hotel, restaurant, cafe or bar often includes a service charge already. A tip is an indication of your satisfaction – 5% is average, whereas 10% indicates exceptional service. Tip taxi drivers about 5%, and porters and others who assist you with baggage one Euro per item. Berlin is one of the liveliest capitals in the world; it has huge volumes of history attached to it German Car Industry Germany is the birthplace of the automobile – in 1887 Karl Benz designed a couch fitted with an internal combustion engine, and the modern car was born. In 1901 Germany was already producing 900 cars a year; today the total is as high as 10 million. The industry employs about 1.26 million people, and over half of all the cars produced in Germany are exported. Today Daimler-Chrysler, the result of the merger between Daimler-Benz, Germany’s largest manufacturers of cars, and the American Chrysler Corporation, is the third largest car manufacturer in the world. The names of the car companies tell interesting, often personal stories. For example, when August Horch designed his first car, another car manufacturer operated under Horch’s name, so he was forced to find a new name for his company. He selected the Latinised version of the German word Horch, listen, and came up with Audi. Mercedes was originally the name of an early Daimler sports car – it was named after a client’s daughter. The car industry has remained one of the pillars of the German economy. Currently about 1.26 million people are employed in the car industry. In 1998 5.73 million cars were produced and 3.27 million of these were exported. Daimler-Benz is the largest of the three major players, Volkswagen being the second and BMW the third. The car industry is, however, facing the biggest changes since the introduction of mass production. With ever changing markets and fluctuating economies mass production in the old sense may be on its way out. Cars that are not sold quickly turn into huge losses for their company. This may be avoided by introducing more flexible production systems. The idea is to produce cars according to customer’s wishes and, more importantly, when they want to buy them. This idea is based on BTO (built-to-order) systems. In Germany about 60% of cars are built according to orders placed directly or indirectly with the factory. The next step, mass customisation, would suit both customer and manufacturer. The problem is to develop a production system that can adapt quickly to a changing demand and supply at a lower cost. Together with American and Japanese car makers Volkswagen is involved in the so-called â€Å"3DayCar† project which tries to apply the mass customisation model initiated by the computer manufacturer DELL to the car industry. Considering the size of German car manufacturers like Volkswagen and Daimler-Benz, these new production methods may mean major changes on a huge scale. Another change is the increasing size of car manufacturers. The five leading corporations worldwide are General Motors, Ford, DaimlerChrysler, Toyota and Volkswagen. The worldwide overproduction of cars and fluctuating markets has meant that all five have been involved in a number of acquisitions and mergers in order to consolidate their position as global players. DaimlerChrysler is now said to be interested in Mitsubishi Motors and Volkswagen in BMW. German Car Exports to Ireland In the year 2000 about 25% of all new cars bought in Ireland were of a German brand. (55.160 vehicles). The largest number of imports, 37 700 cars, were by Volkswagen. BMW BMW, which stands for Bayerische Motoren-Werke, started off as a manufacturer of aircraft engines. After the First World War the production of these engines was forbidden by the Peace Treaty of Versailles. BMW therefore began to manufacture motor cycles. Later on BMW bought a company which was licensed to produce a car called Dixi. The cars sold very well despite the economic downturn of the late 1920s and when the licence expired BMW started designing their own models. The company began building six cylinder cars and sporting models. With every new model BMW introduced went a sporting model since taking part and winning races was the best publicity a car manufacturer could get. During the war the company received large orders to build aircraft engines. Because of its contribution to the arms industry of the 1930s and 40s the BMW plants were banned from production for three years after the Second World War. Two of the company’s plants, in Berlin and Eisenach, were in the Russian sector and later were nationalised by the East German government. The factory in Munich remained, but since it had only produced motor cycles car production did not start until 1951. For a while the company tried to both mass-produce as well as develop prestigious models which put it under considerable financial strain. In 1959 BMW nearly went bankrupt but managed to keep going. Between 1955 and 1962 the company produced Isetta cars under licence. This led BMW to work with Italian designers which proved to be very successful for the company. A major reorganisation of the company took place in the early Sixties under the auspices of major shareholder Herbert Quandt. The success of these changes allowed BMW to built bigger cars and offer a more comprehensive range in the following years. In today’s competitive markets the quality of the marketing and advertising of a product is just as important as the quality of the product itself. An example of this is the latest advertising campaign by BMW in the US. Instead of TV and cinema ads BMW financed five short films which can be viewed on the internet. The films are made by internationally renowned directors and are part of a series called The Hire. All films feature a chauffeur and his car, a BMW. Guy Ritchie’s film, the first of the series, stars Madonna and was an immediate success. Since the start of the US campaign three months ago (May 2001) six million people have viewed the films and BMW is now considering a similar project in Germany. Surveys showed that most potential customers are far more likely to surf the internet than to look at TV or magazine ads. The campaign, which is typical for so-called Image-Advertising, indicates that the perception of a car is nowadays as important as the actual product, if not more so. (www.goethe.de) BMW Group worldwide mission statement is: â€Å"To be the most successful premium manufacturer in the industry.† What is BMW (GB) Ltd’s turnover? 1996 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1,239,000 1997 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1,400,000 1998 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1,478,000 1999 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1,580,000 2000 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1,511,000 2001 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1,966,000 2002 à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2,350,000 (Source: www.bmw.com) BMW (Bavarian Motor Works) began life as a manufacturer of aircraft engines during World War I when it built a reputation of reliability and excellence. In 1923, BMW built its first motorcycle and in 1928, its first motorcar – a version of the Austin Seven built under licence. Production Range. With a workforce of approximately 2,700 employees, the Berlin Plant builds up to 400 motorcycles of the R, K and F Series a day. Also manufacturing camshafts, brake discs and track control arms for BMW’s various car models, the Berlin Plant is an important supplier for other locations within the BMW production network. Human resource policy The human factor is the No. 1 criterion in determining a company’s relative success. Accordingly, we see our associates not as a cost factor, but instead as an essential performance factor. This is especially true because any human resources policy that is not oriented towards the associate will always lead to negative cost effects in the long run, thus proving uneconomical. As a future-oriented company, we seek to pursue an exemplary, creative and associate-oriented human resources policy, making significant contributions to business success through our human resources activities. The human resources policy of the BMW Group is an integral feature of our overall corporate policy in both strategic and operative decisions. What are the BMW Group brands? BMW The BMW brand stands for one thing: sheer driving pleasure. Sporting and dynamic performance combined with superb design and exclusive quality MINI The MINI brand wins hearts and turns heads. MINI is part of a lifestyle that is cosmopolitan and confident, ready for everything. Rolls-Royce Uncompromising concentration on quality is a matter of course. The Rolls-Royce fascinates through unique solutions in detail BMW Ltd applies selection processes for both internal and external applicants which ensure the appointment of the highest quality staff. Special selection events are designed to give applicants every opportunity to demonstrate their skills and abilities in a variety of relevant activities and to learn as much as they can about the organisation and the role they are applying for. BMW Ltd actively encourages its employees in the development of their careers Generally, vacancies will be advertised internally and wherever possible a current member of staff will be recruited into a position. Only if an internal appointment is not possible will BMW consider external recruitment. BMW Ltd operates an equal opportunity policy BMW Ltd offers all employees (Head Office and Dealer Network) the practical support, advice and training opportunities to encourage personal development, aligned to the achievement of corporate objectives. The BMW Centre for Development team helps employees to select and undergo the most appropriate training programme for their needs. Requirement is assessed annually during the appraisal process Managers are expected to interact regularly with their team and this process is formalised through â€Å"Portfolio† where managers and employees review performance together every November covering the following areas: * Review of performance against agreed objectives * Establishing objectives for the forthcoming 12 months * Identification of individual training and development needs Planning actions to build on strengths address weaknesses and plan career development. BMW offer an extensive induction programme which includes one or two days where the person is allowed to talk to fellow workmates on an informal basis. New workers are put into groups and set a task i.e. finding certain places within the factory. They are also assigned a mentor for 12 months this is so if they have any problems they can go to this person and hopefully they can sort it out, usually the new worker doesn’t use the mentor for 12 months it’s normally for the first month or so. BMW Ltd applies selection processes for both internal and external applicants which ensure the appointment of the highest quality staff. Special selection events are designed to give applicants every opportunity to demonstrate their skills and abilities in a variety of relevant activities and to learn as much as they can about the organisation and the role they are applying for. BMW Ltd actively encourages its employees in the development of their careers BMW Ltd offers all employees (Head Office and Dealer Network) the practical support, advice and training opportunities to encourage personal development, aligned to the achievement of corporate objectives. The BMW Centre for Development team helps employees to select and undergo the most appropriate training programme for their needs. Requirement is assessed annually during the appraisal process. Courses available to staff include: Management Sales After sales Technical Dealer Service Managers are expected to interact regularly with their team and this process is formalised through â€Å"Portfolio† where managers and employees review performance together every November covering the following areas: Today BMW has various production plants in Germany, Austria, South Africa and the USA as well as sales offices in Asia and Mexico. Apart from cars and motor cycles the group is involved in the production of aircraft engines. Cars, however, account for nearly 75% of the company’s sales. Company’s operations also include software (softlab GmbH). Due to recent changes in the car industry there has been speculation about a possible merger between BMW and another car manufacturer, but the Quandt family who owns about half of the BMW shares has downplayed such speculation. In the beginning of 1994 BMW bought 80% of the shares in the Rover Group. The company later on sold Land Rover to Ford and Rover Cars to Phoenix Consortium. BMW is known for its production of passenger and Formula 1 cars as well as motor cycles. In the year 2000, BMW sold 830 000 cars, 74 000 motor cycles and employed 93 000 people. BMW are and will continue to be one of the largest car manufactures in the world, producing top of the range vehicles for years to come and being a credit to Germany is what BMW is all about. Bibliography www.goethe.de excellent site provides very good history on the car industry within germany and also that of bmw www.btm.de Another very good website, very helpful, will post out brochures to you about germany and getting around Berlin. Would be very good to a person who has never visited germany www.germanytouristoffice.de A good site offering details on accomdation within Germany, although does lack in the fact that it could be more helpful with regards to providing maps etc of germany www.guardian.co.uk Provides good history articles on various car manufacteurs in germany www.geographic.org Provides excellent maps first of Germany then of Berlin, its different regions etc. www.aboutgermany.org Good website providing information on different festivals that happen in Berlin, also features tips on how to live to in Germany Dossier German Car Industry

David Alfaro Siqueiros: The Activist Artist Essay

David Alfaro Siqueiros was a social realist painter known for his large murals in fresco. He was born in Chihuahua City in 1896 and by age fifteen David was already involved in artistic studies and political activism. Siqueiros was involved in direct political action more than most other artists. He was a sophisticated political ideologist who was involved in the political conflicts of the Mexican Revolution serving as a protestor, demonstrator, soldier and leader of an assassination squad. The type of art he produces are murals; he believed art should be public, educational, and ideological. He went probably the furthest of all the muralists in his attempts to combine his political views and aesthetic ideals with modern technical means to create a truly â€Å"public art†. Siqueiros was an activist in many different ways, controversy lies in his work, and he has many meanings of his work. In 1911 Siqueiros led a student strike at San Carlos Academy, one designed to force changes in teaching methods, this strike lasted six months and ended in complete victory for students. Through his fellows, he soon became familiar with communist and anarchist writings, embittering him further against the upper middle class to which he himself belonged. Following that in 1913 he joined the anti-Huerta Constitutionalist movement and contributed to its newspaper, La Vanguardia. After serving four years as an active combatant during the Revolution, he attained the rank of a captain. Siqueiros than organized a group called Congress of Soldier Artists in 1918. He then published a magazine called Vida Americana in 1921. These play the roles of him being an activist because he is reporting his issues. In 1924, Siqueiros finished work on The Burial of the Martyred Worker, also in the National Preparatory School, taking the bold step of painting a hammer-and-sickle on the coffin. This provoked outrage on the part of the students at the School, then, as prior to the Revolution, representing the conservative element in society. There were several clashes, and the muralists took to carrying firearms to defend themselves. At one point, a battalion of Yaqui Indians, all devout supporters of the Revolution marched into the school to defend the murals. A short while later, the artists received a major blow when Vasconcelos resigned from his post as Minister of Public Education. Quite soon, the government issued an ultimatum; either the painters had to abandon their Union, or they would be fired from the government payroll. The painters refused. When Diego Rivera adopted a more conciliatory tone, they voted to expel him from the Union. As a result, within a short period of time, he was the only muralist still allowed to work. In response, Siqueiros turned to political activism. Leaving Mexico City, he traveled to the state of Jalisco, where he helped organize trade unions for the silver miners there. He was so successful that by 1927 he was head of the United Syndicate Confederation of Mexico, a national trade union organization that brought together miners, peasants, factory and railroad workers, school teachers and other professional groups. He quickly was harassed and detained several times by the police.